What is Messengers?

Messengers Ministry's purpose is to inform, educate, equip and encourage the Church to stand for righteousness in the public square.

We Fulfill our Mission by

Committing to praying for God’s influence upon our nation; our elected leaders, and our laws.
Providing informative legislative briefings and updates.
Informing of special events to address specific topics and issues.
Providing voter information.
Engaging in outreach to other churches by sharing information & resources, and working together on specific issues.

Disclaimer

Throughout the Messengers website, you will find source links to outside websites. Valley Christian Church is not responsible for the content on those websites. Please browse with caution.

U.S. Presidential Candidate Statements

Women are used to Planned Parenthood preying on them — but praying on them? That’s a new approach altogether. After a string of celebrity endorsements, Planned Parenthood insists it got the ultimate one: God’s. Obviously, Cecile Richards’s group is always looking for new ways to justify abortion. But the Bible? That’s a step too far, even for them.

In a new “Pastoral Letter to Patients,” America’s biggest abortion business (the same one that launched a 40 Days of Prayer for Choice) makes the stunning suggestion that most faiths support the decision to kill an innocent unborn child. “The truth is that abortion is not even mentioned in the Scriptures — Jewish or Christian — and there are clergy and people… from all denominations who support women making this complex decision.”

The word “abortion” may not be mentioned (for the record, neither is drunk driving, marijuana, voter fraud, and human cloning), but I think we’d all agree the subject was covered in a little thing called the Ten Commandments. What’s more, the Bible is replete with references to the sanctity of life and our creation in the image of God. David reminds us that we were “fearfully and wonderfully made,” “knit together in [our] mother’s womb.” Jesus tells us he came — not so that we might have abortion, but “life — and life more abundantly.” Is Planned Parenthood so desperate for business that it has to spiritualize the murder of tiny children? Woe, Isaiah says, “to those who call evil good and good evil.”

And according to Planned Parenthood, there are plenty who are willing to. “Though your reasons may be complicated and private,” the letter reads, “you’re not alone. As religious leaders from a number of religious traditions, we’re here to support you in your decision… If you’d like to speak with a clergyperson, your local Planned Parenthood health center can refer you to someone who will be supportive of you and your decision.”

It’s almost like a TV ad. Hurry — abortion apologists are standing by! Unfortunately, that’s not the role of the church. God’s leaders are called to preach the Word, not hand out permission slips excusing people from it. Is there grace and forgiveness? Absolutely. But only for a repentant heart. These days, even the church is becoming a target of this radical secularization, where morality is open to interpretation. We’ve seen it happen with premarital sex, same-sex “marriage,” and now abortion.

And while lightning hasn’t struck Planned Parenthood headquarters, the group is getting shocked by the latest closures. Thanks to a wave of pro-life legislation, clinics are turning off the lights in at least five clinics across Oregon, Washington, Texas, and Iowa. Too stubborn to comply with safety standards, these clinics are shutting their doors for good in a couple of the most liberal states in America. Now, if we could just get Congress to close its taxpayer-dollar funding stream…

California lawmakers declined Thursday to pass a bill to strip Boy Scouts of America and other “discriminatory” youth groups of their tax-exemption status.

The first-of-its-kind bill needed a supermajority of 54 votes to pass the California Assembly before its session ends Friday. But SB 323 was instead sent to the inactive file. The move ends its journey this year but permits it to be revived in 2014.

The Long Beach Press-Telegram said the measure lacked one vote.Bill sponsor State Sen. Ricardo Lara could not be immediately be reached for comment. But he said earlier that the Youth Equality Act was needed to bring youth-serving groups’ tax exemptions “in line” with state nondiscrimination laws, especially those that protect lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth. His bill would have prohibited youth-serving groups from getting tax-exempt status if they discriminated based on gender identity, sexual orientation, or in other ways.

Traditional-values and religious groups opposed the bill, saying it would force nonprofit organizations to adopt the government’s viewpoint on such things as sexual orientation and gender identity.

“SB 323 makes the atrocious attempt to force organizations to ultimately choose between changing their moral beliefs to align with those of the oppressive LGBT lobby, or shutting down their organization all together,” said Brad Dacus, president of Pacific Justice Institute.

“Forcing Boy Scouts to allow biological females to camp with the boys because they identify as a boy is ludicrous,” Mr. Dacus added.

The Calvary Assembly of God, Capitol Resource Institute, First Christian Church, Lighthouse Baptist Church, and Traditional Values Coalition also opposed the bill. The bill named Boy Scouts of America and numerous other youth-serving organizations as targets for the measure.

After the Boy Scouts of America amended its membership policy to permit openly gay youth to join, Mr. Lara applauded that move. But he said that the BSA didn’t go far enough because it kept its policy not to permit openly gay adults as Scout leaders, volunteers or employees.

The act also named Future Farmers of America, Future Homemakers of America, Little League, Girl Scouts, Young Men’s Christian Association, 4-H Clubs, Special Olympics Inc., American Youth Soccer Organization and Pop Warner football. Some of these groups have told The Washington Times they do not discriminate and had no idea why they were named in the bill.

Washington, D.C. — The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has officially reported what Liberty Counsel has been saying all along: The IRS is not auditing churches because it does not have the authority to take away churches’ tax-free status.

For years, leftist groups, such as Americans United for the Separation of Church and State (AU), have used deception and fear tactics to censor the church and muzzle pastors. A recent letter to religious leaders by Executive Director Barry Lynn inaccurately said, “If the IRS determines that your house of worship has engaged in unlawful intervention, it can revoke the institution’s tax-exempt status.”

An IRS spokesman said last week that the agency has been inundated with complaints, but they are not going to do any audits because they do not have the authority to do so. “Churches are tax-exempt inherently,” said Mat Staver. “They don’t need a letter from the IRS to be tax exempt, so their tax-exempt status cannot be taken away by the IRS.”

No church has ever lost its tax-exempt status for opposing or supporting a candidate for political office. Churches and pastors may speak on Biblical and moral issues. They can educate about the candidates’ viewpoints. They can encourage people to vote and can assist them in getting to the polls. This year Liberty Counsel has sent over 100,000 copies of its Take Back America: Silence is NOT an Option to pastors and church leaders around America, to encourage pastors and church leaders to speak truth to this generation.

More pastors have been involved this year than ever before, even pastors who have been silenced in the past. Rev. Billy Graham is running full-page advertisements in a number of newspapers across the country, urging voters to vote for candidates that support Biblical values of life, natural marriage, and religious liberty. “This is unprecedented for the world’s best-known evangelist,” said Staver. “Billy Graham has always steered clear of politics. In reality, Billy Graham has merely raised his prophetic voice like any preacher should when Biblical and moral values are placed in jeopardy by politicians,” said Staver.

John MacArthur, a well-known pastor and author, who was against Christian political activism, has had a dramatic change of heart. “I was amazed that one of the historic parties in the U.S. adopted the sins of Romans 1 as their platform,” said MacArthur in a recent Sunday morning sermon. “This is a new day in our country. Parties that used to differ on economics, now differ dramatically on issues that invade the realm of God’s law and morality.”

“I am beginning to see more and more pastors waking up and realizing that Biblical and moral issues are under attack and they have no choice but to speak,” Staver said. “This isn’t politics; it is Biblical and moral issues that have been politicized.”

Liberty Counsel is an international nonprofit, litigation, education, and policy organization dedicated to advancing religious freedom, the sanctity of life, and the family since 1989, by providing pro bono assistance and representation on these and related topics.